This year there has been a lot of talk about the hospitality industry going mobile. There has also been an increase in mobile applications that allow guests to book, check in and research nearby hotels. There has even been talk of eliminating room keys and remotes from the rooms and allowing guests to use their phones as replacements. As a result, Hoteliers and guests are beginning to question the need to have a guestroom phone. Does this mean everything will be mobile? Will we have to say good bye to both the guestroom phone and remote?
With so many travelers glued to their cell phones, some hotels are exploring the idea of doing away with the guestroom phone. However, despite many travelers dependence on their cell phones; the fact is that the guest room phone is here to stay! Not every guest carries or is attached to a mobile device. Baby Boomers are a large target for the hospitality industry and they are not as keen on going completely wireless. Cell phone reception inside the building is often problematic and hotels still cant guarantee Wi-Fi or cell signal coverage in all rooms and public spaces. So, even if all guests were to have mobile devices, there is no way to guarantee their reliability and thus would impinge upon guests’ safety.
Hotels also face a legal requirement - if a guest calls 911 for help, the hotel must be able to tell which room she or he is calling from. Currently, traditional phones are the most reliable way to track this. As cell phones become almost universal there has been talk about replacing the guestroom phone with a wired intercom system and a panic button. However, this approach is unlikely to be adopted by many properties, mainly because it’s not very reassuring to guests.
Although, it may seem that in room phones within the hotel are becoming obsolete the hotel phone market is actually as strong as ever. Hotels are now looking at new ways to utilize guest room phones. Percipia Networks has helped in increasing property revenue simply by upgrading the functionality of hotel phones. For more information on how our products and services can help increase revenue at your property please visit www.percipianetworks.com
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